Integration of radiation oncology teaching in medical studies by German medical faculties due to the new licensing regulations : An overview and recommendations of the consortium academic radiation oncology of the German Society for Radiation Oncology (DEGRO)

Abstract

The new Medical Licensing Regulations 2025 (Ärztliche Approbationsordnung, ÄApprO) will soon be passed by the Federal Council (Bundesrat) and will be implemented step by step by the individual faculties in the coming months. The further development of medical studies essentially involves an orientation from fact-based to competence-based learning and focuses on practical, longitudinal and interdisciplinary training. Radiation oncology and radiation therapy are important components of therapeutic oncology and are of great importance for public health, both clinically and epidemiologically, and therefore should be given appropriate attention in medical education. This report is based on a recent survey on the current state of radiation therapy teaching at university hospitals in Germany as well as the contents of the National Competence Based Learning Objectives Catalogue for Medicine 2.0 (Nationaler Kompetenzbasierter Lernzielkatalog Medizin 2.0, NKLM) and the closely related Subject Catalogue (Gegenstandskatalog, GK) of the Institute for Medical and Pharmaceutical Examination Questions (Institut für Medizinische und Pharmazeutische Prüfungsfragen, IMPP). The current recommendations of the German Society for Radiation Oncology (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Radioonkologie, DEGRO) regarding topics, scope and rationale for the establishment of radiation oncology teaching at the respective faculties are also included.

Keywords: Medical studies; New licensing regulations; Radiation oncology teaching.

Fig. 1

Development process of the new Medical Licensing Regulations (Ärztliche Approbationsordnung), which will finally be enacted by the Federal Ministry of Health in 2025. The 2nd draft of the Medical Licensing Regulations was created at the end of 2020 against the background of the Masterplan Medical education 2020 (Masterplan Medizinstudium 2020). This draft is essentially based on the National Competence-Based Learning Objectives Catalogue for Medicine 2.0 (Nationaler Kompetenzbasierter Lernzielkatalog Medizin 2.0) drafted by the Medical Faculty Association of the Federal Republic of Germany (Medizinischer Fakultätentag der Bundesrepublik Deutschland) and the Society for Medical Education (Gesellschaft für Medizinische Ausbildung) in cooperation with the Subject Catalogue (Gegenstandskatalog) of the Institute for Medical and Pharmaceutical Examination Questions (Institut für Medizinische und Pharmazeutische Prüfungsfragen)

Fig. 2

DEGRO recommendations for the establishment of mandatory radiation oncology teaching in the new medical curriculum. NKLM National Competence-Based Learning Objectives Catalogue for Medicine 2.0, GK mentioned in the subject catalogue of the IMPP, ÄApprO Ärztliche Approbationsordnung, ÜK higher level competence, UE teaching unit (45 min), underlined should be taught without fail, ZV target volume, X radiation therapy explicitly mentioned, a mentioned as cross-reference or example, V generally prioritized topic, V1 diseases of the focus disease network semester 1–4, V2 in-depth study planned in semesters 5–10, 1 radiation protection explicitly mentioned, 2 radiation enteritis explicitly mentioned

Fig. 2

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Fig. 3

DEGRO recommendations for the establishment of the facultative radiation oncology teaching (core curriculum and specialization area) in the new medical curriculum. (UE lesson 45 min, W week, underlined should definitely be taught, ÜK higher level competence)